Fighters are masters of combat in all its forms, but some discover a way to bend the battlefield itself, darting in and out of danger like a phantom. A Shadow Boxer is one such warrior — a combatant who has learned to slip between the folds of light and darkness, striking in sudden bursts before vanishing again. Their fighting style is one of elusive movement and disorienting strikes, baffling foes who cannot follow their blinding pace.

Unlike monks who channel inner discipline or rogues who cloak themselves in subtlety, a Shadow Boxer harnesses raw instinct honed into supernatural agility. Each step is deliberate, every shift of their weight a carefully timed maneuver. Where others charge headlong into battle, a Shadow Boxer glides, using shadows like stepping stones, appearing at their foe’s flank in the blink of an eye before fading away just as swiftly.

To allies, fighting alongside a Shadow Boxer can be uncanny. One moment they are at your side, the next they are across the battlefield, striking down an enemy with a blur of fists, steel, or both. Then, as quickly as they appeared, they are back in their original place, leaving their opponent reeling and uncertain whether they were ever truly there at all.

For the Shadow Boxer, the battlefield is a dance floor, and combat is the dance itself. Every Shadow Strafe is a step, every After Shade a return — in and out, advance and retreat, offense and defense woven seamlessly into one. Their foes struggle to pin them down, for even when trapped or bound, a Shadow Boxer can twist their own limitations into advantage, striking with half their strength only to slip away untouched.

The philosophy of a Shadow Boxer is not about hiding but about control: control of distance, of tempo, and of perception. They fight not only with strength of arms but with presence and absence, overwhelming their foes by being everywhere and nowhere at once. In a world where many warriors rely on brute force or relentless endurance, the Shadow Boxer’s strength lies in fluidity, adaptability, and the simple truth that a strike is all the more terrifying when it comes from the dark.

3rd Level: Shadow Strafe

You can instantaneously close the gap between yourself and your foes, appearing in striking range in a blur of shadow.

When you use the Attack action on your turn, you may choose to activate one of the following Shadow Strafes before making your first attack:

Close Strafe. Target a creature within 10 feet.

Mid Strafe. Target a creature within 20 feet.

Far Strafe. Target a creature within 30 feet.

You instantly appear adjacent to the chosen target and gain advantage on your first attack roll against it this turn.

You can use Close, Mid, and Far Strafe once per short or long rest each.

When you use Second Wind, you also refresh your expended Shadow Strafes.

Additionally, you gain +5 movement speed.

3rd Level: After Shade

Immediately after using Shadow Strafe and making an attack (hit or miss), you may return to your original position prior to using Shadow Strafe.

If you are grappled or restrained, you can still use Shadow Strafe. However, you automatically trigger After Shade after the attack, and the attack deals half damage.

7th Level: Umbralstep

Your movement now blurs faintly with shadow. You gain the following benefits:

You may Dash or Disengage as a bonus action a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Opportunity attacks made against you while moving through dim light or darkness are made with disadvantage.

10th Level: Improved After Shade

Your mastery of shadow weaving deepens.

When you return to your original position using After Shade, you may instead choose to teleport to an unoccupied space within 10 feet of that position.

Once per turn, when you use After Shade, you may also impose disadvantage on the next attack roll made against you before the start of your next turn.

15th Level: Distant Strafe

You unlock the most elusive of Shadow Strafes:

Distant Strafe. Target a creature within a distance equal to the greater of 40 feet or your base walking speed.

You instantly appear next to your target and gain advantage on the first attack roll against it this turn.

You can use Distant Strafe once per long rest, or refresh it by using Second Wind. 

Additionally, you gain another +5 movement speed.

18th Level: Flicker Form

You move like a shifting shadow between strikes, making it nearly impossible to pin you down.

Whenever you use Shadow Strafe, you become resistant to all damage until the start of your next turn.

Once per turn, when you hit with an attack after using Shadow Strafe, you may deal an extra 2d8 psychic damage as your shadow ripples violently through your target.